This is what we have been literally building up to, right? The BUILD-A-FIGURE and titular character in this latest Marvel Legends offering is the Lizard, and while he is a classic character without argument, the design for this figure has a modern spin to it. So let’s check it out now, we have made you wait long enough.
Like most ML waves, this one met with quite a few surprises, and while Mysterio was my most anticipate figure, and I do like him quite a lot, if you have been keeping up, you know that Gwenpool takes the cake overall. Lizard was another big want of mine, and even though I knew early on that most of the figure’s design would be right in my wheelhouse, the head sculpt is something completely new to me. As you know, it sure isn’t classic, and it has much more of a raptor/dinosaur look to it than what we traditionally identify as the Lizard. Now, don’t get me wrong, it is cool, and the sculpted detail is nothing short of wonderful, but I am so torn on this, to be honest. I don’t hate it by any stretch, but I have hard time looking at the figure without saying, “clever girl.”
I don’t know, maybe I am being a little too needy in terms of what I want for an iconic Lizard figure, but this figure is very close to that overall, just the most important spot causes me to feel like I am not getting what I completely want or need for an ML Lizard. However, as the always sage-like Robo mentioned during our session, if Hasbro got creative and included a more classic Lizard head with a future figure (like they did with Onslaught last year) that would be a great way to satiate people like me who really love classic iconography on their comic action figure shelves. It would also be a good way to get me to soften on some of the other little quirks of the figure …
The articulation. Don’t get me wrong, this figure has all of the articulation points you would expect in an ML, so it is certainly not lacking in the amount of points. However, while most of them have great range of moment, some of the critical spots, like the knees have been engineered, it seems, to purposely limit the range of movement. Look, I get it, any self-respecting Marvel fan would pose their Lizard figure hunched over and crouched, and I would like never consider keeping him any other way for a long term display. So please, don’t mistake my want for more range of movement in the knees to be for standing this figure upright, it is not, but I feel like that if the knees could move more, they could be positioned more dynamically. I don’t know, maybe I just don’t want my options to be limited, even though they still function (for the most part) to fit the basic need of proper Lizard posing. That said, the jointed tail can look odd in certain positions, but it is absolutely essential for stable display and action posing.
I thought the size of the figure would would be too big and distracting due to the BAF status, but you know, it doesn’t bother me much if at all. Yes, he is big, and wide, but really, he fits in well with the other Spider-Man rogues, and because of the requisite crouching pose, he is not towering over anyone else for the most part. Now, your milage will vary on this, and I totally understand if the size of this figure is not your cuppa tea, but I like him, and despite some of the short comings, this is the best action figure based on the Lizard, even though the likeness is not really my thing. There is really no denying it being a beautiful figure, even with its Jurassic qualities.
So yeah, not perfect, but not bad either. This Lizard really is the culmination and representation of the series as a whole, one met with surprises, both good and not as great. Gwenpool, Mysterio, Spider-Punk, Spider-Woman, and Spider-Man Noir are definite winners, and Lasher, Prowler, Lizard here are are solid. Maybe an alternate head for this figure could be offered down the road at some point, then I would be great with this figure. Like I said, though, the figure is gorgeous, so if you are good with the not-classic look, you should be very happy. Oh, and since this series is FINALLY up for pre-order, go lock in HERE or HERE.
